What does it take to run a successful blokart event?
You take a choice of an east and west coast beach, throw in warm weather and some wind for two days, bring 40 blokart sailors and another 20 supporters from the top half of the North Island, add some fun races, plenty of food and drink, a bit of mischief, keep Jackie happy and you're there!
And so we have The Park Top 10 90 Mile Beach Blokart Event (kindly sponsored by The Park Top 10). This event has evolved a bit and with so many turning up we ran 3 separate divisions although everyone raced together. We had the Hooters division for the first time (an all time record of 8 entries and all lovely), the Non racers division for those who don't normally race, and then the rest.
Friday morning saw quite a few at The Park Top 10 already having traveled up the previous day and night. The rest weren't far away as I put out the call to head to Tokerau (Orca country) for an early start to catch the low tide. It took about 2 hours for everyone to arrive, most of the bay team got a bit lost, but we started sailing in about 12 knts NE as soon as we had about 15 there. Great 4 metre weather, shorts and t-shirts, and despite some rugged handicapping the lightweights still seemed to have the better of the day. The beach was smooth and hard except for one soft patch just south of the start finish line. Some of the younger brigade realized that beach sailing is quite different to hooning around a track and that you need goggles or else you get sand in your eyes and the ZZ bearings don't last too long in salt water. We ran lots of short and long handicap stuff, one relay which most people managed to stuff up to finish off about 1.15 pm as the tide came in. A good days sailing followed by cleanup and back to camp or vineyard depending on your tastes. Everyone met up about 4 pm at the camp, drinks and tales, followed by the barbeque and enough food to feed twice as many as were there.
Saturday, the wind was blowing at 7am and meant to strengthen. Orca and I made the early call to again head to Tokerau with a 9am start on the beach. By then it was blowing 16–20 knts and most opted for the 3 metre sail, with Terri going down to a 2 metre. The wind had swung about 10 degrees northwards which meant the top mark was slightly upwind but the gybe on the 200 sq. metres of sand was fast and a 65 – 70 km/hr run back to the finish line exhilarating to say the least. Just fantastic 3 metre sailing. We did a short handicap race to start, then the length of the beach and back, 13 km, flat out, wide open beach and everyone had the blokart grin, mostly under a layer of sand. 40 blokarts sailing down the beach at speed was a great sight, photos to follow. We did it a second time, finished with self handicapping as I was to scared to do the relay as only a few managed to pass the batten at 35–40 km/hr the previous day, it wasn't going to happen over 60 km/hr. I called off the organized stuff and everyone headed north to make the most of the big areas of hard flat sand and fast downwind sailing. No-one really wanted to stop but sore hands, blisters, aching arms from the flat out sailing for 4 hours slowly brought everyone back to the set up area with tales of how fast they had sailed. What a great days sailing.
The deal was to head back to camp, clean up and meet about 5 for drinks before preparing the food for the restaurant meal and prize giving. Come 4.45, not 1 person in sight. Going passed the cabins I saw plenty of feet on the end of the bed, toes up. Everyone was knackered and most had got in a quick snooze. Managed to get a few out of bed and we started to gather about 5.30 with the final ones appearing at 6. The Camp had told us they don't do dinners anymore so we used the restaurant, Trish, Rowena and the Roses had set everything up for us, we barbequed our own meat and then all sat down for a meal twice as good as what we normally get for $27 per head. We did the first course then onto the fun stuff. The theme was "hat night" and everyone obliged with some magnificent creations appearing. There was also a "tall tale" competition for those who had a story to tell. Then there were prizes for what had happened on the beach.
Allan judged the hats and brought 5 finalists up for the official, very accurate, clapometre run off. Marg won with her blokart history hat, followed by the two Roses with matching rose hats and Duncan for his sailing blokart creation hat. There were plenty of highly commended efforts.
The "tall tale" contest was judged by Trish, Allan and Luke to make sure it was fair and was eagerly contested. David H started with a poem about the 90 Mile Beach weekend cleverly put together, Nicholas told a tale of the 12 inch pianist and managed to weave in a blokart somehow, Theo explained how Pam really liked her welcome to 90 Mile beach and felt it was necessary to give flowers in return to which I replied that Marg and I loved receiving flowers even though we probably didn't deserve it and thanked Pam with a chocolate bar and hoped she enjoyed her next nights sleep as much as the first night (you had to be there). Orca spoke about his first introduction to blokarts at Tokerau and the fact that the beach is now littered with them. I gave a very brief overview of the revolutionary development of the slowkart and the ABC, Stu somehow managed to work in a story about Archibald someone who wasn't great at grammar, Brian gave the next addition of his tale including the fictitious French woman we all haven't met, and the Bay Bus team finished with a blokart song about the weekends activities which had everyone singing along. The judges deliberated long and hard for about 30 seconds before awarding 3rd to Brian, 2nd to myself and first to the Bay Bus Team for a well deserved win. The trophy was last seen displayed proudly in the front of the bus and I'm hoping it will reappear for the next event. The wine didn't last!
Lots of prizes followed with the main ones being:

Hooters division: 1st equal Terri (Japan) and Lesley (BBC), 3rd Rosemary (ABC)
Non racers division: 1st Duncan (Rotorua), 2nd Grant F (Hamilton), 3rd Adrian (ABC)
Day 1: 1st Marg (ABC), 2nd Tony (ABC), 3rd Ray (ABC)
Day 2: 1st Nicko (Hamilton), 2nd Orca (ABC) 3rd Jon (ABC)
Relay: 1st Stu and Theo (BBC), 2nd Allen (BBC) and Wayne (ABC), 3rd Orca and Russell (ABC)

Overall: 1st Orca, 2nd Nicko, 3rd Marg
Orca now gets to keep the 90 Mile Beach Trophy until February but doesn't have to return the bottle of wine.
Lots of other prizes given out and thanks to Trish and crew for running start/finishes, and to TV Tony as our photographer.
The night continued on past when we kicked everyone out of the restaurant to clean up. Sunday morning everyone was a bit weary and despite plenty of wind and a good low tide no-one headed for the beach, everyone packed and headed for home.
Thanks goes to Jackie for her sponsorship of the event and her positive support of our activities while up at 90 Mile Beach.
Next 90 Mile Beach trip is 20, 21, 22 February, the whole camp now booked again. I will allocate cabins soon.
Can those with photos pleases send to me, email or on a disc, so I can put them all on the blokart site.
Let's hear what other have to say.

Russell

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